To cleanse or not to cleanse...

I've been toying with the idea for months of doing some sort of cleanse.  I just feel like my eating has gotten a little out of control.  Not so much the amount, although who in the world wouldn't like to lose 5-10 lbs, but mainly what I'm eating.  Just junk lately,  whatever is easiest to grab and eat, whatever takes the least amount of effort.  I would like to just hit restart and start over.  But... there is no way I can do any sort of lemon juice, cayenne pepper thing.  It has to be something reasonable not torturous.  Not eating is going to be bad enough, not to mention having to choke down some god awful concoction.  As a woman who is famous for getting cranky if she misses a meal... a cleanse seems a little daunting.  I am the one that the work "Hangry" was invented for. When the kids were little... John would say... "don't talk to mommy until we get her some food."   If I seem a little touchy or cranky, the first thing everyone askes is "Have you eaten?"  I admit that not eating for 3 days seems a little bit like asking for trouble.  But I need something to wake me up and snap me out of this bad food choice hell I'm living in.  So... I found a book called 3 Day Cleanse.  It seems to be a very reasonable approach to the idea of cleansing.  You drink lots of fruit juices and smoothies.  Herbal teas, nut milks and if you absolutely get DESPERATE ( or more likely your family gets desperate) and before the police are called.... you can eat some cucumber, celery or even a bit of avocado.  I envision my family standing in the bedroom doorway and just lobbing cucumbers and celery sticks at me.  Just knowing that I can eat something if I have to, makes me feel like I can do it.

I even used my credit card points to buy a Jack Lalanne juicer in preparation.  I have given up caffeine and soda.  I am ready to go.  Let's see if I can actually follow through... D-day is Friday....

Thanksgiving Recap

Once again a day late and a dollar short.  The day after Thanksgiving I came down with some sort of bizarro cold that sucked all the energy out of me.  On the other hand, maybe it was a food coma! :o)  We had a great Thanksgiving, very quiet which is just the way we like it.  Our girl came home from Radford and slid back pretty seamlessly into the house routine.  Art and Karen came down for the holiday and we all kept it pretty low key.

Even the pups enjoyed dinner

I am so thankful for so many things.  I am thankful for children who seem to be growing up into wonderful, kind, thoughtful and fun young adults despite all the incredible parenting errors that were made along the way.  It's a good thing children are so resilient!  I'm thankful for a husband who puts up with me.  I'm thankful that I have wonderful In-laws, that we all get along and enjoy each other's company.  I am so appreciative of all that we have, because we have so much.

I am thankful for a Thanksgiving that only requires me to put a nice shirt on for the pictures and allows me to keep my jammie pants on all day.

Food was good, dishes were done quickly and we all enjoyed each other and the holiday together.  Couldn't have asked for much more.

Oh the pressure...

Tom's gone in the oven... now it's all over but the waiting... Cook Tom! Cook!

45... it's the new 25.. or 35.. oh who am I kidding it feels like the new 65!

Had my birthday yesterday.  45 years old... geez, how does that happen.  John has spent the last couple of days wandering around mumbling, "I can't believe  I'm sleeping with a 45 year old woman" and things like that.  I like to remind him that he's closer to 50 than me.   Geez, 45... that means if I'm lucky enough to live to 90, my life is half over!  Sort of a sobering thought, but I shan't dwell on that.
I had a very nice day.  It was quiet.  I walked the dogs,  I took a nap and generally putzed around.  My In-laws arrived mid-afternoon and we all went out for a nice dinner.  I opened presents when we got home.  I got lots of cool things, snow boots that look like tennis shoes, makeup bag, my favorite candy - among other things.  Even all my girlfriends remembered me.  Tons of people sent me messages on Facebook and that was very fun.  Friends from high school, from all over the country and many local friends.  It's amazing how good it makes you feel when you go on Facebook and there a tons of birthday messages waiting for you.  Just a simple Happy Birthday, can make you feel so treasured.  I guess you should never underestimate the power of letting someone know that you took a minute out of your day to think about them.

I tell the kids every year that all I want for my birthday is a handmade card.  I don't need gifts, I don't need anything special except a handmade card.  Those stinkers didn't let me down.  They both made me cards and they were MUSHY cards!  I almost cried...out loud...I definitely got teary-eyed.
All in all, a great day and I am very thankful for my family and friends who made me feel very valued and appreciated!  Getting old is not so bad when you have friends and family around you.

On a complete side note....

This is what happens when you can no longer out last your children and  you go to bed leaving them up and giggling together....  It's curling irons gone wild!

Who says hunting isn't romantic?

Yesterday was opening day for hunting season, which is actually a little confusing since John has spent the last 3-4 weekends in the woods with some sort of weapon.  Bow and arrow, muzzleloader, a big stick - pretty much anything he can propel at a furry creature.  Anyway,  yesterday was "Opening Day" for real guns, I guess.  On  a side note, our neighbors boys were suppose to go on a big Boy Scout camping trip, but it was cancelled because they didn't think it was a great idea to have scores of boy scouts and hunters all traipsing through the woods on the same day.  Ya think?
So, my intrepid huntsman got up at 345am to go out and hunt and gather for us.  He called home about 11am and said he'd already got a buck and a doe!  "Two?" I asked.  "Yes" he said.  "They were in love and I had to shoot both, so that one didn't have to live without the other!"

See romance is alive and well in the great outdoors!  Now when we eat our venison this year, I will have to remember that it is infused with love!

Reunited!

She's home - safe and sound!  She made it home with a new hamster, a car that had to be dropped off at the mechanics for an alignment, 25lbs of laundry, a cold and an empty bank account! :o)  But she's home!  We ate her favorite casserole for dinner, went to the pet store to by hamster supplies (see empty bank account), had family movie night and went to bed leaving the kids up together watching TV.  It's good in the Hyzy house.

On another note, on the way home she had to go to court for her first speeding ticket.  She was going 86mph which qualifies as reckless driving.  John drove down to give her moral support for court.  She ended up with 8-hour in residence driving school, 16 hours of community service, a second court appearance in April and what I hope is a healthy respect for listening when your mother screams "Slow down you are driving too fast!"  :o)

It's great to have her home, she can't wait to see all the neighbors, eat all our food and have me do her laundry.  Let's see how long it takes before everyone is ready to kill each other!

1 More Day!

In 1 more day our girl will be home from college for Thanksgiving Break!
Yeah!  Hurrah!
She hasn't been home since August!
Tuesday I spent $322 at the commissary stocking up on all "her foods."  To include toaster strudel, bagels and cream cheese, laughing cow cheese, wheat thins and various other treats. Yesterday I put new flannel sheets on her bed. (Side note... I also purchased new flannel sheets for Zman's bed along with a new comforter and blanket, Lest anyone thinks we've forgotten we have another kid)  Today I will spend the day cooking all her favorite "real foods."  Like a yummy green chili mexican casserole that's only name is "Brenna's casserole,"  white chicken lasagna and zucchini bread and muffins.
Tomorrow I will spend the day with my face pressed to the window waiting for her to drive up...only kidding.  But we are excited here at the Hyzy House.